New In Chess Podcast

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.

Continuing where we left off in Episode #33, Sosonko invites us to sit beside him as Olga Clark continues her talk about Capablanca and the time that they spent together both in Europe and in America, punctuated by the actuality of being in the restaurant that she and Capa favoured and used to frequent.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, in “‘I knew Capablanca…’” Sosonko shows us the human sides of Capablanca, effectively portraying the life of a man in whose life, as it appears, chess just happens to have found its place.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Swedish grandmaster Tiger Hillarp Persson. Tiger is a three-time Swedish champion and has been described as one of the most creative and original players of our game. His creativity is on display in his latest book, “Tiger’s Chaos Theory”, in which, perhaps unsurprisingly, the topic of creativity in chess plays an important role.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Tiger talks about creativity, the development of his chess philosophy throughout the years, and how this is reflected in his latest work.

"Tiger's Chaos Theory" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41&q=tigers+chaos+theorhy&cvid=c748d3ce43f94efcaa1629a62b82fa03&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhAMgYIAhAAGEAyBggDEAAYQDIGCAQQABhAMgYIBRAAGEAyBggGEAAYQDIGCAcQABhAMgYICBAAGEAyCAgJEOkHGPxV0gEIMzQ3MmowajGoAgCwAgA&FORM=ANNAB1&PC=U531 

0:00 – Intro

1:33 – How did Tiger feel when finally holding the book he’d spent so much time working on?

3:04 - Tiger clarifies at what age he started playing chess and recalls playing with his father

5:02 – Why did his parents pick the name Tiger?

9:11 – How did Tiger’s “Tiger’s Chaos Theory” come about?

11:18 – Tiger’s database of his own games that impacted the way he played in the future

14:56 – Why Tiger’s book does not propose a “grand theory” of chess

17:21 – The chapter on queen sacrifices

20:30 - Why a good chess player should strive for objectivity

23:10 – Tiger’s use of metaphors and stories in his writing

26:31 – Why Tiger talks to his pieces, and his students should too

29:43 – Tiger’s scepticism towards material

30:41 – Tiger clarifies certain quotes from the book

31:12 – AD BREAK

33:37 – How does this book relate to Tiger’s other passions, like go and music?

38:40 – Tiger’s humble beginnings and relative disregard for money

42:01 – Tiger’s favourite classical music

46:21 – AD BREAK

47:21 – Why Tiger considers chess more of a science than an art, the role of the engine

58:01 – Outro

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American IM John Donaldson. At this year’s Olympiad, John will be captaining team USA, the top seeds in Budapest. 

John has a long history of captaining the American Olympiad team, making his debut in Dubai in 1986 and leading the team to gold in Baku in 2016. This year will be his fifteenth time accompanying the American team to the event, which he describes as arguably the most exciting chess event in the world.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, John looks ahead to this year’s event, analyses each teams’ chances, and shares some Olympiad stories from the past.

0:00 – Intro

1:49 – John explains the significance of the San Francisco Mechanics Institute

5:06 – Why John thinks the Olympiad is the most exciting chess event

7:59 – How did John get his job as the first captain of the US Olympiad team?

13:28 – Was John always the “player-coach”?

15:20 – How does John see his role as captain, and how does this compare to the captain’s role back in the day?

27:05 – AD BREAK

28:03 - This year’s American Olympiad team, the strength of the current playing field and the other frontrunners

32:39 – Netherlands being a remarkable 4th seed in this year’s Olympiad

33:25 – Uzbekistan and Kramnik’s captaincy

36:35 – Norway and Magnus

39:20 – The Olympiad often being a tournament for young stars to break out

40:20 – AD BREAK

40:53 – Last year’s Olympiad in Chennai

41:55 – The many format changes the Olympiad has undergone throughout the years

46:50 – John’s nail-biting experience winning Olympiad gold in 2016

52:18 – What was it like to manage a team of “stars” as John did in 2016?

56:48 – AD BREAK

59:38 – John carrying his passion for reading over to his players

1:02:32 – John’s upcoming book for Bobby Fischer

1:06:59 – Outro

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a riveting interview with the First Lady of Chess, Judit Polgar. With the Olympiad in Judit’s home city Budapest around the corner, it’s hard to think of a better guest!

Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. At the age of 15 years and four months she broke Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest grandmaster in history. For more than two decades she competed successfully with the very best and became the first and only woman ever to enter the world top-10. In her career she defeated eleven(!) current or former World Champions in classical or rapid chess.

Judit retired from professional chess in 2014 but continues to be one of the most beloved ambassadors of the game. Judit also organises the Global Chess Festival, which will be held for the tenth time during this year’s Budapest Olympiad.

Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Judit shares Olympiad memories, speaks about the philosophy of her festival and sketches the outlines of a new title system to erase the difference between Open and Women’s competitions.

0:00 – Intro

2:10 - How are Judits days filled in Budapest with the Olympiad coming up?

5:18 - What makes the Global Chess Festival in Budapest so special?

9:20 - What is Judits motivation for organising the festival?

13:25 - How did Judit react to the news of the Olympiad being held in Budapest?

15:15 - Why the Olympiad is a great place to meet old friends

17:04 - The Olympiad's unique atmosphere and the Bermuda party

19:06 - How does Judit remember her first Olympiad as a young girl?

22:02 - Did Judits success improve the family's relationship with Hungarian authorities?

23:47 - AD BREAK

24:20 - Judits as a pioneer for women players

26:18 - "Polgaria"

30:46 - The adjustment of playing the Olympiad with men

33:27 - What does Judit think of women's events?

37:45 - Judit suggests abolishing women's titles

41:41 - How does Judit reflect on her Olympiad achievements?

45:30 - Bled

46:36 - AD BREAK

47:35 - Judits experiences as Hungarian team captain

55:12 - Who are Judits favorites and dark horses?

1:00:20 - Magnus's participation

1:03:32 - The Chinese team

1:05:38 - Do Judits female mentees have the same passion and discipline for the game as the young men?

1:07:30 - Outro

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Indian grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, better known as Coach Vishnu. Vishnu is best known as the first trainer of Gukesh D, who will challenge reigning champion Ding Liren for the world title later this year. Vishnu has deep ties to the Indian city of Chennai, where he and his wife operate the Vishnu Chess Academy.

Interviewed by our brand new host Jacob Aagaard, Vishnu talks about his school, the city of Chennai, and the meteoric rise of Gukesh.

0:00 – Intro

4:10 – Chennai as a chess city

5:42 – The importance of Vishy Anand for the city of Chennai

7:18 – Gukesh’s formative years 

10:40 – Vishnu’s coaching methods with Gukesh

13:15 – What was the role of the engine in their training sessions?

16:13 – AD BREAK

17:06 – What caused the split between Vishnu and Gukesh?

25:10 – Vishnu’s family life and other business ventures

29:30 – Outro

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.

This week’s episode features the first half of the story of legendary World Champion Capablanca. José Raúl Capablanca (1888–1942) was a Cuban chess prodigy who became the third World Chess Champion, reigning from 1921 to 1927. Often referred to as the "Human Chess Machine" due to his exceptional endgame skills and nearly flawless technique, Capablanca is celebrated for his natural talent and intuitive grasp of the game. His crowning achievement was his victory over Emanuel Lasker in 1921, which made him the World Chess Champion. Known for his clarity of play and the ability to exploit the smallest of advantages, Capablanca was unbeaten in tournament play from 1916 to 1924, an unprecedented record. Though he lost the title to Alexander Alekhine in 1927, Capablanca's contributions to chess theory, especially in the endgame, remain highly influential. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest natural talents in the history of chess.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

This week's episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from Genna Sosonko's “The Essential Sosonko” on Lev Polugaevsky.

An expert on the Sicilian Defence, Polugaevsky wrote two books on the opening and has one variation named after him. He was one of the strongest chess players of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but had to bow to his nemesis Viktor Korchnoi twice in the Candidates Tournament.

Narrated by professional voice actor Nick Murphy, in “‘I must work, I must work…’” Sosonko shows us the struggles of a world-class player plagued with human features: from excessive awe for his opponents to the bad timing of occasional absent-mindedness.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available for purchase on the New In Chess website:

https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko 

This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with American FIDE master and chess author Charles Hertan. Charles’s latest work “The Real Paul Morphy” focuses on the life and career of one of the most enigmatic figures in chess history.

Paul Morphy (1837-1884) learned chess at a young age and quickly made a name for himself as a prodigious talent. Known for his brilliant, aggressive style and deep understanding of the game, Morphy quickly vanquished all opposition in the United States. At one point, he travelled from his native New Orleans to Europe to seek stronger opposition, but to no avail. When a match with Howard Staunton did not materialise, Morphy, age 22, returned to the United States and promptly retired from chess to start a legal career. He would repeatedly decline invitations to return to competitive chess, even as his law practice failed to pick up steam. In his later years, Morphy developed severe mental illness and died at the young age of 47. His short but brilliant career would earn him the nickname “The Pride and Sorrow of Chess”, which has stuck to this day.

Charles Hertan is not only good at chess and writing, he has also worked as a psychotherapist, which informs much of his understanding of Morphy’s eccentric mind. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Charles takes us deeper into his writing process and gives his assessment of Paul Morphy as a chess player and human.

“The Real Paul Morphy” is now available for purchase on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-real-paul-morphy 

Timestamps

0:00 – Intro

1:43 – How did the concept for “The Real Paul Morphy” come about?

2:55 – How good was Morphy in Charles’s estimation?

5:00 – Morphy’s incredible natural talent

10:25 – Morphy’s dominance in the US and first European tournaments

13:01 – AD BREAK

13:53 – Morphy’s gentle personality

17:19 – Why did the match with Howard Staunton fall through, according to Charles?

19:20 – The difficult character of Howard Staunton

24:11 – Frederick Milnes Edge

29:03 – AD BREAK

30:26 – Morphy’s mental illness, comparison with Fischer

35:40 – Morphy’s later years as a psychotic

38:15 – The women’s shoes myth

40:41 – Can we draw a connection between Morphy’s brilliance and madness?

44:00 – Morphy’s disdain for chess as a hobby worthy of pursuing as an occupation

49:40 – AD BREAK

50:12 – Charles’s desire to keep Morphy’s legacy alive

55:20 – The “romantic” label, Charles’s assessment of Morphy, Staunton and Anderssen

58:10 – Morphy’s influence on the game, Wilhelm Steinitz

1:00:10 – Will Charles write about Pillsbury next?

1:02:20 – Outro